Bottle-capping machine.



G. HARTWIG.

BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00w. 8, 1912.

1,069,948. PatentedAug. 12, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

G. HARTWIG.

BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 001. s, 1912.

Patentd Aug.12,1913.

3 SHEET$SHEET 2.

G. HARTWIG. BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001?. a, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

QWi/f/weowo an sitar arm t me CHARLES HARTWIG. OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK G. ZINSSER, 0F HASTINGS-UPON-HUDSON, NEW YORK.

BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINE.

invented certain new and useful Improve-- ments in Bottle-CappingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to bottle capping machinery of that character inwhich the bottle and the capping die or head reciprocate with respect toeach other in order to apply a metal cap to the lnouth of the bottle.

The features of'improvement in my machine have to do with the means forautomatically feeding the caps, one by one, from a reservoir containingthe caps to the capping die. plishing this has comprised a reservoir forthe caps anda chute or slide into which the caps are directed from thereservoir and by which they are conveyed, usually by gravity, to thecapping die. The operation of this chute is not always satisfactoryinasmuch as it is found that the caps sometimes become clogged thereinand that the delivery from the exit of the chute to the capping die isnot always regular and results in jamming the caps and stoppage of themachine.

By my invention I have. eliminated the chute entirely and have locatedthe reservoir in such relation to the capping die that the caps aredelivereddirectly from the reservoir to the capping die by a mechanismso simple that there is little or no liability of derangement of theapparatus or delay in its operation.

My invention contemplates a reservoir for the caps in which the latterare arranged one above the other in the form of a column which standsparallel and closely adjacent to the axis of the capping head, thelowermost cap in said column being on a level with the throat of thecapping die at which point is located a reciprocating slide whichcarries the bottle caps from the reservoir to the die, whileothermechanism acts upon the column of caps to prevent its interference withthe movement of the slide. Such an arrangement provides a compact and"simple structure of few parts, certain and efficient in operation.

My invention will be described in detail Specification of LettersPatent.

Heretofore the means for accom- Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed. October 8, 1912. Serial No. 724,510.

with reference to the accompanying ings, in which Figure l is a frontelevation of the improved capping head and cap reservoir and mechanismcooperating therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan-of the plate shown below thedotted line 00m in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of the capping head andreservoir; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;Fig. 5 is a vertical central section through the capping head andreservoir showing the slide in its forward position; Fig. 6 is asimilarsection of the same parts showing the slide in a partially withdrawnposition; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through the lower end ofthe cap retainer at the footof the cap reservoir.

The caps may be of the ordinary well. known shallow cup-shape havinginside thereof, if desired, a disk of packing material and beingrepresented in the various figures by 1. Any suitable form of cappingdrawwhile the latter is being forced axially through the die. This die 2is contained 1n the casting 4 which is of cylindrical shape and providedwith an axially arranged plunger 5 adapted to reciprocate verticallywithin the casting, it being forced upward by the pressure of thebottle, against its lower end and returned downward by the pressure of aspring 6. Below the die is arranged a tapered passage 7 which directsthe mouth of the bottle against the cap which has been previously seatedin the throat of the die upon the annular segmental seats 8 formed onthe edges of the yielding plates 9, 10 and 11 Fig. 2), which plates arelocated in depressions formed 1n the bottom plate 12 secured to the diecasting. The plates 9 and 11 are pivoted at 13'13 and normally heldagainst stops 1et14 by springs 15-15, while plate 10 is held in aslidewa-y in which it has a yielding limited movement by reason of thepin 16, slot 17, and spring 18. The purpose of these plates is primarilyto temporarily sustaln the cap centrally below the die just prlor to theupward movement ofv the bottle or the downward movement of the die, asthe case may be, for the capping operation; and secondarily, theseplates are adapted to yield laterally in case the neck of the bottlewhich is thrust between them and some distance there-abdve in thecapping operation, should be so large as to strike the flanges or lips8. 19 indicates another cylindrical portion of the casting formedintegrally with part 4 and arranged with its axis parallel to that ofthe part 4. Within this part 19 is fixed a tube 20 being clamped rigidlyby the bolt 21 which draws together the upper split port-ions of thecasting. The tube 20 has its lower end notched or crenelated and joinsthe upper end of another tube 22 similarly notched and movable in anaxial direction retainer which surrounds the lower portion of the tube22 and projects slightly beyond radial or lateral movement.

the lower end of thesame, being formedat its edge into aninwardly-directed annular wedge-shaped head 25. The upper edge of thisretainer is provided with a grooved outer flange 26 which rests upon theupper edge of a bushing 27, between which bushing and the outer surfaceof the tube 22 is a chamber 27 in which the lower ends of the segmentsof the retainer may have a limited Around the lower edge of the retaineris an external groove containing a spring 28 which tends to draw thesegments radially inward, and a similar but lighter spring 29 occupiesthe groove in the flange 26 tending to draw the upper edges radiallyinward, these motlons being permitted by the curved inner surface of'theretainer rolling on the exterior surface of the tube. When the tube 22is moved downward, its lower beveled edge presses against the inclinedupper face of the bead 25 and forces the lower ends ofthe segmentsOutward until said bead is outside of the bore of the tube. When thetube 22 1s free to rise, the spring 28 forces the bead 25 inward untilit enters the bore of the tube forming an annular'shelf around the same,

I of the caps from being obstructedby the abutting edges of the tubeswhen there is a separation between the ends of the tube due with a pin32 which projects therefrom outward through a slot 33 in'the casing 4and enters the forked or slotted end 34 of a lever 35. This lever isfixed to a rock-shaft 36 mounted to turn in suitable bearings 37 in thecasting l9, which-shaft also carries a cam 38 which is provided with aconcentric track 39 and a shoulder 40. On this same shaft 36 adjacent tothe'cam is a crank-arm 41 and in the end of this crank-arm as well as inan intermediate portion of the lever 35 is an adjustable screw 42l2arranged to bear respectively upon the two pins 30 which are attached tothe tube 22. Thus when the lever 35 is swung downward by the downwardmovement of the cap plunger 5, the tube 22 is forced downward and thebead 25 on the retainer is forced outside of the bore of tube 22. Thescrews 42 are adjustable in orderto determine the exact moment in thedownward stroke of the lever 35 when the pins 30 shall be moved. Abovethe shaft 36 there is mounted another shaft 43 in bearings 44 formed inthe casting 19, which'shaft carries a disk 45 having a shoulder 46adapted to be engaged by the shoulder 40 on cam 38 inorder to rotateshaft 43 when lever 35 y is lifted. When the disk 45 has been rotated tothe position shown in- Fig. 6, cam 38 may thereafter continue to swingto the right without further rotating the disk since the concentrictrack 39 of the cam thereafter rides u on the end of shoulder 36. Shaft43 also barries'a bent arm 47 which reaches downward under the capreservoir and is provided at its extremity with a hook 48. On-therearwardly-projecting end of shaft 43 is a torsion spring 49 connectedat'one end to the shaft and at the other end to the disk 45 for thepurpose of rotating the shaft in a direction contrary to that in whichit noemeee the slide 51 by means of a cross-pin 52 fixed in the slide,the hooked end of the arm 47 engaging directly with the said pin; thusthe movements of the arm 47 are communicated to the slide. The forwardend of the slide is rovided with an arc-shaped face 53 which gs adaptedto impinge against the edge of a cap 1 to force the latter along theplate 12 into the throat of the capping head where it is deposited uponthe lips 8 under the die.

Pivoted upon the front of the casting 19 upon a stud is a latch 55 whichextends laterally under one of the pins 30 and is then off-set so thatits extremity will extend alongside of the lever 47. A spring 56 actsupon the latch with a tendency to throw its free end upward, the-strokebeing limited by a pin 57 The lever 47-carries a 'lug 58 with which theend of latch '55 is adapted to engage when the latter is in its upperposition in order to prevent movement of the lever 47 under the actionof spring 49.

For the purposes of this machine the bottle caps are put up in capsulesor paper tubes containing, say, 100 each, and these capsules are bodilyinserted into the upper end of tube 20 as indicated at 59 in Fig. 6,'thelower end of the capsule being first opened to allow the caps therein todrop downward into and fill the tubes 20 and. 22. The bottle to becapped and which is indicated in the drawing by 60, may be placed upon afixed table 6-1 and the capping head caused to move downward toward itto perform the capping operation, or, the bottle may be placed upon amovable table and the latter forced upward to the stationary cappinghead. As contemplated, however, and as shown in the drawing, it isintended that the table shall be stationary and the capping headmovable, Fig. 3 showing a bracket 62 reaching rearwardly from thecasting 4 and fixed to the upper end of a rod 63 to which a verticalreeiprocatory movement may be imparted in any desired manner.

' Referring now to Figs. 1 and 5, the parts are there shown in theposition they occupy just before the capping head makes its downwardstroke. It will be seen that cap 1 is in position upon the lips 8 in'thethroat of the capping die and that the slide 51 is in its extremeposition to the left having just deposited the cap in the positiondescribed. The lowermost cap in the cap reservoir is resting upon thetop of slide 51. The tube 22 is in its lowermost position and holdingthe bead 25 on the retainer outside of the bore of the tube. The plunger5 is in its lowest position the latch 55 is out of engagement with thelug 58 and is in its lowest position while lever 35 is likewise in itslowest position wit-h the caln shoulder 40 against the shoulder 46 ondisk 45. The capping head now makes a stroke downward which brings thecap against the mouth of the bottle, and by a continuance of the motion,the bottle forces plunger 5 rela tively upward while the flanges of thecap are being turned downward around the mouth of the bottle by the die2. As the plunger rises, pin 32 thereon lifts lever 35, causing shoulder40 on cam 38 to press against shoulder 46 on disk 45, rotating thelatter and the shaft 43 and swinging lever 47 to the right, whichcarries with it the slide 51. As the levers 35 and 41 are thus liftedfrom the pins 30, freeing the tube 22, the spring 28 is permitted toforce the segments of the cap retainer inward against the lower edge ofthe tube causing it to rise, and the bead 25 on the retainer, to enterthe annular space between the flanges of the two lower caps in thereservoir. This occurs just before the slide completes its motion to therightor when it has reached substantially the position shown in Fig. 6.Just before the completion of the stroke of the lever 47 to the right,as seen in Fig. 6, the latch 55 is released by pin 30 and springs infront of the lug 58 to prevent the return movement of the lever. At thecompletion of the stroke of lever 47 to the dotted lines position shownin Fig. 6 and which is determined by the movement when the concentriccam track is presented to the end of shoulder 46, the lowermost cap inthe reservoir drops down in front of the slide to the position shown inFig. 2 while the remaining caps in the reservoir are retained therein bythe inwardly-projecting bead 25. Any further movement of the lever 35,which may be more or less, dependent upon the length of the bottle, willoccur without any response by the lever 47. On the return stroke, thatis, when the capping head lifts, the plunger 5 relatively moves downwardas the bottle passes out of the throat of the die under the action ofspring 6, and levers 35 and 41 move downward until the concentric (track39 of the cam passes to the left beyond the end of shoulder 46 on disk45. At this moment arm 47 commences to move to the left but is soonstopped by the latch, 55. The adjustable screws 42 which in the meantimehave been forcing the pins 30 downward, finally carry one of the latteragainst the latch 55, and forces it away from the lug 58 at the instantwhen the bottle neck has fully cleared the throat in. the die. Lever 47then being free, is quickly forced to the left by the torsion spring 49,and in making such movement carries the cap 1 with it and deposits thesame upon the lips 8 in the throat of the die. By the time the latch 55releases the lever 47 the tube 22 has moved downward sufliciently toforce the cap retaining bead 25 outside of the bore of the tube,allowing the column of caps in the tube to feed downward onto the ,topof the slide at the instant *when the slide is traveling to the left.

It will be seen'that while the capping die vis adapted to cap bottles ofvarying length as they are presented to it by reason of the fact thatthe plunger 5 yields upward to any required extent, the feeding of thecaps which is controlled by the stroke of the plunger is neverthelesstimed so that a cap will never be presented to the throat of .the dieuntil the bottle has withdrawn therefrom. This is accomplished by meansof the cam 38 provided with the concentric track which limits themovement of the slide to the right, regardless of the length of strokeof plunger 5, and by the latch 55 which releases lever 47 only at theinstant when the plunger 5 reaches its lowest position, as seen in Fig.5, and the bottle neck has passed out of the throat of the die.

Having. described my invention, I claim: 1. In a bottle capping machine,the combination of a die provided with a reciprocatingplunger having avariable stroke, a cap reservoir, feeding mechanism for delivering capsfrom said reservoir to the die,

- means whereby said plunger will actuate cap reservoir adapted toreceive a column of caps, said tube beingadapted to reciprocate, anannular cap retainer surrounding said tube and provided with a beadadapted to enter the bore thereof, a spring adapted to force said beadinward and another spring acting upon said tube to force the bead of thecap retainer outward, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a bottle capping machine,"a cap reservoir in the form of a tube, acap retainer having a cam surface adapted to engage said tube, means formoving the cap retainer to-a position'where it will engage the caps ofthe tube and at the same time bodily move the tube, and means for movingthe tube in the opposite direction to' alter the position of the capretainer.

5. In a bottle capping machine, a cap reservoir comprising a tubethrough which the caps feed, said tube being movable in an axialdirection, in combination with a cap retainer adapted tobe moved in onedirection by the movement of the tube, and by its own movement in onedirection adapted to move the tube, for the purpose of clearing andobstructing respectively the passage through the tube.

6. In a bottle capping machine, the combination of a capping headprovided with a plunger having a stroke depending upon .the length ofthe bottle operated upon, a

cap reservoir, a reciprocating slide for conveying caps fromthereservoir to the head, a pivoted lever adapted to be moved by saidplunger, a cam moved by said lever, and a swinging arm connected withsaid slide, the cam being adapted to actuate the swinging arm during apredetermined part of the stroke of the plunger;

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES HARTWIG.

1 Witnesses:

WALDO M. CHAPIN, WILLIAM C. LARY.

